Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	bread_n	lord_n	wine_n	3,679	5	7.3104	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34857	The English hermite, or, Wonder of this age being a relation of the life of Roger Crab, living near Uxbridg, taken from his own mouth, shewing his strange, reserved, and unparallel'd kind of life, who counteth it a sin against his body and soule to eate any sort of flesh...or to drink any wine...he left the army and kept a shop at Chesham, and hath now left off that, and sold a considerable estate to give to the poore, shewing his reasons from the Scripture...	Crab, Roger, 1621?-1680.	1655 (1655)	Wing C6736; ESTC R25357	16,785	22

Roger Crab that feeds on Hearbs and Root 〈…〉 But I believe Diogenes had better Cheer Deep things more I have to tell but I shall now forbeare Lest some in wrath against me swell and do my body teare THE ENGLISH HERMITE OR Wonder of this AGE Being a relation of the life of ROGER CRAB living neer Vxbridg taken from his own mouth shewing his strange reserved and unparallel'd kind of life who counteth it a sin against his body and soule to eate any sort of Flesh Fish or living Creature or to drinke any Wine Ale or Beere He can live with three farthings a week His constant food is Roots and Hearbs as Cabbage Turneps Carrets Dock-leaves and Grasse also Bread and Bran without Butter or Cheese His Cloathing is Sack-cloath He left the Army and kept a Shop at CHESHAM and hath now left off that and sold a considerable Estate to give to the Poore shewing his reasons from the Scripture Mark 10. 21. Jer. 35. Wherefore if meate make my brother to offend I will never eate flesh while the world stands 1 Cor. 8. 13. LONDON Printed and are to be sold in Popes-head Alley and at the Exchange 1655. The Publisher to the Reader Honest Reader BEfore you come to the Authors own Epistle and Narration I shall mention some remarkable passages which I had from his own mouth and finde them not mentioned in his writing and I can assure thee this Relation is no feigned story or fable but thou hast it presented to thy view as I received it from the Author himselfe with all the Verses of his own composing This Roger Crab is well known to many in this City and the Country and while this Booke was printing he stayed purposely here in the City till it was published and I think is in Towne still he lodged at the Golden Anchor in white Crosse Street at one Mr. Carters house a Glover where divers people resorted to see him where such as doubt of it may be satisfied I am informed by himselfe and others how that three years since Hee was a Haberdasher of Hats and kept a Shop at Chesham in Buckingamshire and hath since given over his Trade and sold his Estate and given it to the poore reserving a small matter to himselfe being a single man and now liveth at Icknam neare Uxbridge one a small Roode of ground for which he payeth fifty shillings a year and hath a mean Cottage of hiis own building to it but that which is most strange and most to be admired is his strange reserved and Hermeticall kinde of life in refusing to eat any sort of flesh and saith it is a sinne against his body and soul to eat flesh or to drinke any Beer Ale or Wine his dyet is onely such poore homely foode as his own Rood of ground beareth as Corne Bread and bran Hearbs Roots Dock-leaves Mallowes and grasse his drink is water his aparrell is as meane also he weares a sackcloth frock and no band on his neck and this he saith is out of conscience and in obedience to that command of Christ to the young man in the Gospell and in imitation of the Prophets and the Recabites in Jer. 35. who neither planted vinyards nor builded houses nor drank wine and were highly commended by the Lord for it I reasoned the case with him told him that I conceived Christs meaning when he bad the young man sell all he had and give to the poore was that he should part with all his dearest Sinnes that were as dear to him as his possessions or else to try him for his coveteousnesse he answered how can a man give that money to the poor which he selleth his sinnes for I perceive he is well read in the Scriptures he hath argued strongly with severall Ministers in the Country about this and other straing opinions which he holds but I will not be so tedious to the reader as to mention them all he approves of civill Magistracy and is neither for the Levelers nor Quakers nor Shakers nor Ranters but above Ordinances He was seven years in the Warres for the Parliament he is the more to be admired that he is alone in this opinion of eating which though it be an error it is an harmelesse error I have heard since this was in the Presse that Cap. Norwood was acquainted with Roger Crab and being enclining to his opinion began to follow the same poore diet till it cost him his life Felix quam facit alienem pericula cautem In the Primitive times we read of such persons that were weake who did eate hearbs and made a great scruple of eating flesh but the Apostle saith That every creature of God is good if it be received with thankefulnesse 1 Tim. 4. 4. And in 1 Cor. 8. 13. saith he If meat make my brother to offend I will eate none while the world stands And iin Rom. 4. 2 3 4. One believeth that he may eate all things another who is weake eateth hearbs let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not c. The reason why this man betooke himselfe to this Hermites reserved life he saith was that he might be more free from sinne as lust pride and because of the many lyes swearing and deceiving that is too too frequently used by most Shop-keepers Tradesmen as the Prophet complains in Hos. 4. 1 2 3. For the Lord hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the Land because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God but by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring they breake out and blood toucheth blood therefore shall the land mourn c. But however we may see how apt men are to erre both on the right hand and on the left and to run into extreams yet of the two extreams this is the better and more tolerable which this English Hermite hath chosen rather then that of our English Anticks and Prodigalls who give themselves over to run into all excesse of ryot and uncleannesse committing all sorts of wickednesse with greedinesse Some given up to drunkennesse others to whoredome and a third sort to gluttony as of late dayes it was reported of one Wood called the great Eater of Kent who could eate a whole sheep at a meale besides other victualls Also Mr. Marriot the great Eater of Grays Inne was such another glutton Eusebius reports of one Domitius who receiving more meate at supper then his stomacke could disgest or his belly containe dyed suddenly sitting at the Table and Doctor Taylor that famous Preacher of Aldermanbury in his Booke of the Theatre of Gods judgments makes mention of Maximinus the Emperour who was given to such excesse and gluttony that every day for his allowance he had forty pound of flesh and bread answerable and five gallons of wine for his drinke which he constantly devoured besides fallets and made dishess Also the Emperour Bonesus would drinke healths and eate excessively both these came

according to the Scriptures Mat. 7. 3. that we may see clearer and justly judge the tree by his fruits we shall try the inferiour and lower sort of feasting among women called by the name of Christnings which are these First to exchange upon some body that is silly or foolish sluttish or covetous or an ill Husband or a Drunkard Others be condemned for often feasting and wearing fine cloaths swearing and lying so that all sorts are laughed at and judged but our selves whilst wee our selves are doing the very same things and this is the fruit that grows upon the Tree called Christning or baptizing the Child into the Fathers faith which is an admirable Tree if it be true that the child can be in Christ by the Fathers faith and no falling from Grace then let us consider whether Adam did believe in Christ and if it be found he did then this baptisme would have saved all the people from Adam to this day and will do from this day forward for the Child being baptized into the Fathers faith groweth up and begetteth children and cannot fall away baptizing children into their faith and so forward So that if God had been as wise as we in our own conceit he might have saved the lives of all his Prophets and Apostles and people too but the most High is now once more beginning to break through the clouds of darknesse in poor innocent forms of earth raysing them up from carpenting fishing and Tent-making to confound the high and mighty for the wisdome of man is foolishnesse 1 Cor chap. 1. Now let us compare this inferiour feast called Christning with the feast of Christ among the multitude and see which was best exemplary to the people and which produced most good to soul and body and consider the example of Christs birth in a Manger with the pomp and pride of childrens births in our dayes Again consider what feast there was when Christ was baptized of John I think we shall find none at all Then let us see what Christ had at his feast with the people he being able to command stones to be bread or water to be wine was also able to command rost Beef or pig but he was to be exemplary to all people on earth in all his actions and doctrine made an innocent feast for the people with barly loaves and fishes Mat. 14. But some will object and say he was able to work miracles and we are not To which I answer If we as he were able to command all things and yet would have nothing at our feast but barly loaves and fishes what advantage would our power be to this Feast the Feast being innocent without hurting any creature that breathed on earth but on the contrary he endeavoured to preserve and to reconcile the people to God with sound words of instructions uttered with love peace and meeknesse with motions of healing all people that were brought to him So that you may see a great difference betwixt his feast and the other Again he often went to the Feast of the Jews and to a wedding to shew forth the power of his father in turning water into wine but we never finde that ever he was drunke or eate bit of flesh at any of their Feasts or Wedding The Passeover was his owne Feast and did belong to the fulfilling of the law of the Father in his flesh even for a disobedient people which the Lord by Moses brought out of Aegypt from their flesh-pots into the wilderness to purifie their bodies with Angels food called Manna which they ground in mills or beat in morters to make in Cakes But they loosing their grosness grew leane and hungry and murmured and rebelled against the Lord lusting after the flesh-pots of Aegypt Their desires being much and strong the Lord granted them flesh even as he granted them a King and his wrath and plague came with it as you may see in Numb. 11. 33. Psal. 78. 31. While the flesh was yet between their teeth before it was chewed even then the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with an exceeding great plague Thus you see what miserable creatures we are being bred up with flesh and blood onyons and garlick all under Mars who God hath made governor over that humor that lusteth after flesh and blood which is made strong in us by feeding of it as I my selfe may speak by experience for if God had commanded mee to forbeare flesh before I had knowledg of this my discourse although he had sent an Angel or a man working miracles I doubt I should have judged all to be of the Devill for the lust I had after the sweetnesse of flesh even as the rich men in these our dayes will deny the Scripture wherein Christ commanded the rich man in the Gospel to sell his goods and give to the poor But they will say it reached no farther then that one rich man should for say they if we should believe this Scripture to extend to us we should make the poor richer then our selves So it seems by this that they had rather deny this Scripture and many more that speak to this purpose even Christ and all rather then to part from their riches this would have been my condition in ignorance Therefore let not the rich men mistake me and think that I would have them sell their goods before God hath enlightned their understandings let them see the danger of keeping it for then they would play the Hypocrites and doe as bad to themselves as if they had kept it although good to others this would be the condition of every one that shall forbear flesh or beere as in relation to God because it is a sinne against the body or bodies and soules of men Except any man thinks he sinnes against God in eating to him it is sinne because he is weake and doubteth So he ought to forbear because of his scruple as you shall see in Rom. 14. 8. 1 Cor. 8. 10. For if any man see thee which hath knowledge fit at table in the Idols Temple shall not the conscience of him which is weak be boldned to eat those things which are sacrificed to Idolls you may observe from this that he that walketh by another mans light before he is fully convinced in himselfe if he buildeth on sand he will fall in the Tempest because he hath lost his tender light of his scruple which Paul endevored to strengthen in every one of his brethren let them be of what opinion they would in matter of conscience It s very plaine in Rom. 14. and very few in these dayes beleeveth it for we all cry out against many opinions yet every one would have his owne opinion justified we may as well cry out and condemn every one his Neighbour because they differ in physiognomy and so condemn the work of God without us as well as within us but this

to miserable ends this Emperour was hanged and the former cut in pieces by his Souldiers see more at large in the second part of that booke page 102. I will adde but one more Relation hee mentions which had I not so good an Author for I should not give credit to it A rich Citizens sonne having left him by his Father thirty thousand pounds in ready money besides Jewels Plate and Houses richly furnished was so prodigall as to consume all his whole estate in three yeares and hee had a great longing to please all his five Sences at once and did accomplish it allowing to each Sence a severall hundred pound it would be too tedious to mention all the story hee grew at last to all debauchednesse that could be named and was forced shamefully to beg of his acquaintance and was after prest for a common Souldier see pathe last of that Booke above mentioned I shall no longer detaine the Reader from the Hermits relation these things I thought would be most pertinent to impart to thee hoping thou wilt make this good use of it by avoyding these two Extreams and walking in the golden meane of rtue godlinesse which hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come Vale One more remarkable thing hee told me That when hee was in Clarken-well Prison the 17. of this January 1654. His Keeper having a prejudice against him and ordered the Prisoners not to let him have bread with his water and shut him downe in the hole all night The next morning being something hungry walking in the Prisonyard there came a Spannell and walked after him three or foure turnes with a peece of bread in his mouth He looked upon him and wondered why the Dog walked as he thought with a Chip in his mouth He looked at the Dogge and he layd it downe and perceiving it was bread he walked away againe and the Dog walked after him with it againe then he stooped and the Dog layd it downe to his hand then he tooke and wiped it and eate it Epist. l. 18. leave out 50. s. a year TO Mr. Godbold Preacher at Vxbridge in Middlesex I Dedicate this my Discourse Because he was my friend to help conquer my old man by informing my friends of Chesham That I was a Witch and was run away and would never come againe You being a publick Preacher may doe me greater service in helping me to dishonour him for I have been almost 3. years conquering my old man by dishonour Therefore if you can stirre up any more to forward this work pray do if it be not hurtfull to your self and they that do so I rest Your reserved friend Roger Crab To the Impartial Reader IN whom malicious envy delights to be for birds of a feather draw together But such a Constitution is not to be condemned lest we should condemn the worke of God in the flesh but rather to be instructed with the light of the Scriptures that thereby he may know himselfe and judg himselfe to be undone and empty that love and zeale may take possession and then he will be more valiant and bold for God and the Scripture then he that is moderately constituted Then let us labour for a single eye which maketh the whole body light I meane a single heart in single designes which cannot stand with lindsey-woolsey garments nor with double tongues nor varieties of fancies after meates and drinks for Christ himself was to eate butter and honey till he came to knowledge to choose the good and refuse the evill Isa. 7. 15. And if naturall Adam had kept to his single naturall fruits of Gods appointment namely fruits and hearbs we had not been corrupted Thus we see that by eating and drinking we are swallowed up in corruption for ever since Noah came out of the Arke the world being drowned and no fruits nor hearbs-on the earth man was ordered to eate the flesh of the Creature which came out of the Arke so that by that meanes our desires were made strong after flesh That when the hearbs innocent food was come forth we slighted it calling it trash in comparison of a Beast or beastly flesh so that by that meanes the flesh-destroying Spirits and Angels draweth neer us and frequently attendeth man kind This you may see by the Angels that came to Abraham to destroy the flesh of the Sodomites Abraham knowing their designe killed them a Calfe and made them a fleshly feast so that we may see God hath all sorts of creatures for all sorts of designes and for all sorts of food both in heaven and in earth Innocent creatures for innocent food and beastly creatures for beastly and fleshly food I rest your friend as you please Roger Crab From my poore Cottage neere Uxbridg Jan. 1654. THE ENGLISH HERMITE AT ICKNAM NEER VXBRIDGE SEeing I am become a gazing stock to the Nation a wonderment to many friends in this my reserved life I shall therefore indite a few lines as the most high shall direct me wherein I shall give an account of this my undoing owning Christ and the Prophets to be exemplary both in prophecying and practising as farre as God shall give power to any man I having truly examined it and often disputed it with all Sexes and Ministers in most Counties in England and most of them grants me that the practice of Christ and the Prophets is written for our Learning and if this be granted that wee ought to be imitators of their righteousnesse hereby the judgment of God may be seen to a Sodomite generation living now upon English ground but first I shall begin with my self who have transgressed the commands of God and so found guilty of the whole Law living in pride drunkennesse and gluttony which I upheld by dissembling and lying cheating and cozening my Neighbors But now that light which enlightneth every man that cometh into the world according to Johns writing hath discovered the love of God to my understanding which causeth me to with-draw from what I have done and instead of strong drinks and wines I give the old man a cup of water and instead of rost Mutton and Rabbets and other dainty dishes I gave him broth thickned with bran and pudding made with bran Turnep leaves chop 't together and grass at which the Old man meaning my body being moved would know what he had done that I used him so hardly then I shewed him his transgression as aforesaid so the warrs began The law of the old man in my fleshly members rebelled against the law of my mind and had a shrewd skirmish but the mind being well enlightned held it so that the old man grew sick and weak with the fluxe like to fall to the dust but the wonderful love of God well pleased with the Battle raised him up againe and filled him full of love peace and content in mind and is now become more humble for now he will eate